The Road to Empathy
by Mystic Blade
Summary: Empathy is the ability to put one's self into the shoes of another to gain understanding. A year after the tragic events at Solomon's Temple, Altaïr is tested after an argument with Malik causes the Apple to allow a glimpse into the dai's mind to experience the events all over again and learn from them. After all, the path to a wise grand master is never an easy one.


Disclaimer: I own none of the awesome characters of Ubisoft so don't sue. :)

Dedicated to _lostwithoutdoubt_ for the idea of using the piece of Eden as a window to the past of another person- in this case, our dear dai.

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**The First Step: Walk In Another's Shoes**

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Footsteps echoed faintly down the empty hallway as Malik traveled down the corridor leading to the Grand Master's private quarters. It was a rarity and honor to be considered highly enough to venture down that empty hallway, a fitting comparison to the solitary life led by every leader before Altaïr. There were some matters that the order couldn't know but his mending trust with Altaïr allowed Malik to bypass all of that with free access. After all, who else could bear the man's fastidious nature? Knocking on the hardwood door, he heard a muffled inaudible sound from inside and even if he couldn't hear it clearly, he was certain Altaïr hadn't offered a good reply anyway. The man was a low talker most of the time and when he did yell, Malik knew somebody's ass was about to be kicked across Masyaf.

Opening the unlocked door, he slipped inside the room quietly and frowned visibly to the sight awaiting him inside- one he'd seen with repeated increase recently. Altaïr was hunched attentively over his private desk, which was now piled so high with papers that each stack had its own mountain to compete with, as he held the strange glowing artifact in his right hand. The item had barely been unveiled for more than a few months after Al Mualim's death and it had already caused a ruckus within the brotherhood in its short time. Abbas barely spoke to Altaïr after trying to usurp the item and filed any news with him rather than the grand master. Malik wouldn't intervene between Abbas' growing animosity for Altaïr since he wasn't a man that pried into the affairs of others but advised his new leader to keep an eye on him.

He and Altaïr had had a turbulent year after the events at Solomon's Temple but the man before him was not the same that had broken all of their tenets by springing onto their target like a maniacal flying squirrel. His redemption quest had transformed him from the brash man into a wiser individual, all while unraveling and exposing the Templar that had been hidden in their midst. It hadn't been easy for Altaïr to accept that the man he respected and followed had deceived them all but he would not follow in his footsteps. Malik had forgiven Altaïr for the events in the temple after mending their friendship since they hadn't always been at each other's throats. True, there were many times Malik just wanted to beat Altaïr's head between a doorway for his brash thinking but he had to admit the man had a natural talent for their profession.

What he didn't agree with, however, was the fact that he hadn't stopped studying the item for more than two days in the past week. Nobody knew what it was capable of, not even Altaïr, and it demanded a careful hand rather than delving head deep into it. Quite frankly, Malik thought it best to just cast that item into the ocean and never see it again to prevent a catastrophe to their order or worse, civilians.

"I don't think it is wise to spent all of your time cooped up here with that thing" Malik remarked to add in his own opinion about the item as he narrowed his eyes towards it. The ethereal golden glow faded to reveal the metal artifact as Altaïr held it carefully in one hand, his gaze cautious but intrigued to the foreign technology. The dai wouldn't have touched that artifact for all the riches in the world after seeing it enslave their brotherhood under Al Mualim's control and stated curtly, "What will happen if it possesses you without anyone being around?"

"I'm certain our brothers will be enough to subdue me" Altaïr replied nonchalantly since he held no worries for the time being about his new inheritance. He respected the power it exuded and in that, he would be wise not to manipulate it as others had. When one held fire in his hands, he would do his best to respect its power and take responsibilities for any unexpected consequences. All he wanted was to learn its origins and the limits to what it was capable of without using any of its abilities, merely meditating with it. After all, where had it come from? Who had created it? He leaned back against the chair as he turned to face the dai and asked simply, "Now, I know that is not why you came so what is it?"

Malik didn't cover the surprise on his face since his leader obviously forgot his task of the afternoon and pointed out sharply, "The recruits! You were supposed to speak to them after lunch and even went as far as to remind them they'd sleep outside if they forgot to be on time."

"If you think I'm sleeping outside in the stables, you're mistaken" Altaïr shot back with a firm tone because he'd had enough of those days during his youth. He'd been late to numerous classes for enjoying his sleep during his first year of training and had learned every name of Masyaf's horses by the time he organized his time. Being an assassin demanded dedication and with new recruits, he had to instill all of their tenets to ensure they would be loyal to their cause and wouldn't think twice about betraying them. It had been a year after the shameful fiasco at Solomon's Temple and the new grand master would make sure what happened to his group wouldn't happen to other assassins. The incident was one he wouldn't forget, neither would the dai beside him, and he justified his mistake, "I will, however, lecture them about being punctual and use this as a prime example. Our new assassins cannot afford to make mistakes since our numbers are still rebuilding."

Malik agreed on that aspect and found it interesting that today's date was exactly a year after Solomon's Temple and reminded his leader, "It's a year ago today that began our road to where we are now."

"I know and it's not something that is easily cast to the wind" Altaïr stated calmly since his dishonorable behavior had been thrown in his face (not to mention the nasty scar he gained from Al Mualim's dagger) in the most humiliating way. The only good thing about his hubris was the fact that it led him on the road to uncovering Al Mualim's betrayal but he wouldn't forget the consequences of it. His shoulders stiffened as he recounted the death of Kadar, not to mention the innocent old man he'd callously killed, and spoke quietly, "Even if it's one year or three, those scars remain. I understand your pain-"

Malik had forgiven Altaïr for Solomon's temple after seeing each undesirable trait leave his demeanor, even if he'd lashed out vindictively during his grief. It hadn't been easy for him to accept that his life as an assassin had been extinguished in the blink of an eye, along with losing his only brother. How could one adapt so quickly to having his life torn away in one night? Kadar had been the last remnant of his family as they were allowed to be raised together but losing him had been a greater pain than losing his left arm. Altaïr had not endured losses in that majority and with lingering bitterness, pointed out coldly, "No, you cannot. You didn't watch your brother cut down by the enemy nor did you lose a limb in the aftermath."

"Of course not, I am simply saying that it was hard for both of us" he restated to show they shared that fateful event in their lives because of his mistake. He didn't want Kadar to die nor would he want Malik to be a sour shell of the man he once was since he had been an extremely loyal assassin to the cause. He and Malik hadn't exactly been the best of friends before that (mostly due to his arrogance and dismissal of the rules) but they hadn't been mortal enemies- which was a good comparison for the aftermath. He raised his empty hand to show he meant no harm with his words and spoke calmly, "Kadar was a brother-"

"Yes, but you were spared the pain of losing one of your own blood" he stated sharply since the other man would never know the ties that bound siblings and could only understand the symbolic sense. Solomon's Temple would always be a memory in the forefront of his mind because a year was still not long enough to forget the tragic memories. The worst part was that he hadn't been helpless by not being there to help but the fact that he'd been there to see everything while Altaïr had been offered the former. There was solace in never knowing what truly occurred in that massacre but Malik would bear those memories for as a long as he did. He carried deeper scars than Altaïr from that night so there was no competition as to who endured worse and stated firmly, "You can never understand that feeling and don't attempt to do so."

"Malik, I didn't mean-" Altaïr tried to correct since he never meant to cause insult and had merely tried to empathize with his brother in arms. Malik, however, wasn't ready to be reminded about that night since talking it out once had been enough to shed the previous animosity but not dull the painful memories of losing his little brother.

The resounding slam of the door and echoing footsteps down the hall was enough to tell Altaïr that he was sinking in figurative lava with the dai as he stormed out. It was hard to walk over the ice that threatened to crack as their renewed friendship meant one simple mistake could cause a catastrophic fracture in which there was no coming back. He'd only meant to be kind about Kadar's memory rather than poke Malik's heart with a rusty knife and twist it cruelly. He wasn't the old Altaïr anymore! All he wanted was to show sympathy and his honest regret for what had transpired that day-

His eyes stung immediately when the apple radiated its bright light without his control and Altaïr was caught by surprise. It grew brighter in his grip by the second as the light resembled the blinding rays of direct sunlight itself. What in the world was wrong with the foreign artifact? He closed his eyes to avoid the pain in his eyes from exposure and attempted to lower the intensity by sending the message to the object. The apple decided to be stubborn today as it disobeyed each order and before Altaïr could release the artifact, it sent an energy pulse through his entire body that was strong enough to render him unconscious.

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Consciousness returned with a warm bubble that enveloped Altaïr with both comfort and pleasantness as he slowly awoke. His vision was blurry as he wiped his eyes to bring back the focus and noticed he was lying flat in his hay-filled mattress bed. When had he gone to bed? Had the apple removed the last twelve hours from his memory if he was in bed already? All he wanted to do was to roll over onto his side and bury himself deeper amongst the pillows and blankets that littered his mattress to drift deeper into his own slumber. Goodness, he felt as if he'd been out training all week without sleep! His duties to the brotherhood were never ending after Al Mualim's death and sleep was a rare peaceful slumber as he happened to fall asleep pondering over his daily choices. It was probably the only place where Altaïr could truly find safety and peace away from the world where life was a daily struggle for some. For once, there had been an absence of his reoccurring nightmares in his dreams so he was thankful for that.

The question that lingered in his mind as he lay on his stomach and underneath the warm linen sheets was: what happened with the apple? Why had it reacted in such a manner? It had always obeyed him without question and the question pricked at his mind for answers. He'd regretted inadvertently creating an argument with Malik after the two had worked to be on stable ground after a year of being badmouthed every time he went to Jerusalem's bureau. It wasn't his intention to resurface locked memories but-

"Come brother! It is unlike you to still be beneath the sheets on the dawn of a mission!"

_What the hell?_ Was someone in his bedroom?

On the first couple of words spoken, there was something eerily familiar- yet strange- about that voice that it made Altaïr's eyes snap wide open. He was suddenly wide awake as he heard the unknown presence moving at his bedside to the left and wasn't about to be caught unaware. How had his assassins allowed someone to intrude into his private bedchambers? How had _he_ not noticed it? When a hand gently shook him to coax him, he leapt up from the bed with his left fist ready to punch the intruder. He might not have his hidden blade but his fists worked just fine in a bind and never failed to lend aid.

Hurling his blankets at the mysterious stranger, he'd been ready to punch their jugular until he caught sight of shaggy raven hair. A familiar brown eye, followed by their masculine face, was enough to stop him dead in his tracks as he glimpsed at someone who- by all right- should _not_ have been breathing at this very moment.

Kadar!

Was he still lost in the realm of dreams? Had the apple accidentally killed him like Malik repeatedly predicted? How could this even be possible?! The young man was untimely taken from this world but a year ago - a shameful guilt that still remained within him. There was no way he could be here alongside his bed and Altaïr could only stare at him with shocked bewilderment. The young man merely smiled with warmth as if nothing was out of the ordinary and merely threw the crumpled blankets in his arms back at the baffled assassin.

"Trying to test my skills, I see" Kadar smiled with amusement as he turned to stare at the blankets piled in Altaïr's arms and shook his head to chide gently, "I will not be caught unaware."

_What the hell was going on?!_

Had he hit his head after arguing with Malik? Or had Malik knocked him over the head again to knock sense into him? Or had the apple mysteriously interfered with his grasp of reality? He needed answers fast to understand what was occurring and looked to the young Kadar who appeared more alive with each second than dead.

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**A/N**: I love exploring character development and the readers that read my other tales know that very well. :) I'm not sure whether to leave it as a stand alone piece or as a prequel piece to my Adventure Time with Altair tale since _lostwithoutdoubt_ had quite the good idea. I like tinkering with the capacities for the pieces of Eden since the creators did control humans very well and who's to say they didn't use memory manipulation since they controlled every aspect of their cortex. Besides, I'd like to think Altair would be driven bonkers to see his old self and mentally yelling at his every mistake for being so rash (we will be seeing that). This story shouldn't be too long, less than ten chapters since it will span the beginning of the mission to Solomon's Temple to the end of that fateful night. So, get ready for humor and brotherly bonding with the known tragedy that happens at the end.


End file.
